Kung POW chicken!

Ok it's actually Kung Pao chicken, but Pow is more fun, especially if you do a fist pump at the same time. Whatever way you spell it, this is a delicious, easy dinner.
I don't normally cook a lot of stir fry's, I seem to have trouble getting everything cooked at the same time so if the protein is cooked the vegetables are either heading towards mushy or still rock hard. I also don't own a wok (actually my sister gave me one years ago, it was big enough to bath a small elephant, apparently she thought I was opening a Chinese restaurant and needed to cook for hundreds ...needless to say its in the garage somewhere...)

It does not matter with this recipe, the chicken is cooked separately, and is easily done in a standard fry pan. It is based on a recipe from Nici Wickes on World Kitchen, where she visits the Szechuan province of China. One of the ingredients of the dish is Szechuan peppercorns, confusingly these are not peppercorns at all but the dried berry of the Mountain Ash Tree.

They have a unique fragrant aroma and a distinctive, almost floral flavour. You could use plain peppercorns & still have a delicious dinner, but if you can get your hands on the real thing (I got mine at Farro Fresh , along with some Chinese Rice Wine, or try an Asian supermarket), they do make a difference.

So what are you waiting for?

Kung Pow Chicken
Serves 4 with rice and steamed vegetables

4 large chicken thighs, skinless and boneless

Marinade

1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
2 tsp soya sauce , I use dark Kikkoman soya
1 tbsp Chinese Rice Wine (or use sherry, or Marsala)
1 tsp oil, I use peanut oil

Sauce

2.5 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp sugar, I use brown but any sugar will be fine
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, or use rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp water
1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)

2 tbsp peanut or other oil
1 thumb size piece ginger, peeled and sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
4 dried chillis, or 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (to taste, if you like it fiery go for it)
3 spring onions, sliced
1 tsp Szechuan Peppercorns (or black/pink peppercorns)
3 tbsp roasted peanuts

Firstly, mix together your marinade ingredients, and add to your chicken, which has been chopped into small chunks. Leave to one side while you get everything else ready. It wont look terribly promising but stick with me

Now mix together all your sauce ingredients and also put to one side. Next chop the rest of your ingredients ready for cooking.

A thumb sized piece of ginger..rather depends how big your thumb is.....!

Yes, I do actually chop things up and put them into small bowls before I cook, it isn't just for the photo! It makes me feel much more organised, and I don't discover I haven't got an important ingredient half way through cooking dinner........

Put a med-large frying pan onto to heat with the 2 tbsp of oil. You want it reasonably hot to fry your chicken. Add as much chicken as will fit in one layer to your pan, and cook for about 6-8 minutes until golden and cooked through

Remove from the heat and put the chicken on a plate while you cook the rest of the ingredients. If there isn't any oil left in the pan, add a splash more

Add the ginger and garlic to the pan with the chillis (or flakes) and stir around until you can start to smell the spice, about 1 minute. add the spring onions and peppercorns, and cook for a further minute. Add the chicken back to the pan.

Finally, add the sauce, and stir while it thickens. You will be left with a deeply savoury coating on your chicken and vegetables, rather than lots of gloopy sauce.

That's it! I like to serve this with steamed rice and greens. If you don't have a rice cooker, I highly recommend you get one, makes for a VERY easy life. For today's version (can you tell I make this recipe often...?) I cooked broccoli in a steamer bag in the microwave, to which I added lemon juice, chilli flakes and a tiny dash of sesame oil.

Super easy, and takes just minutes. Enjoy (fist pump optional)

Kedgeree for a holiday......

As usual I left my packing for our holiday to the last minute (despite a staggering amount of list making the week prior), so supper this Friday needed to be quick, tasty & use up the vacuum pack of hot smoked salmon I brought for my sister’s birthday party & didn’t use. The solution proved delicious, a version of Kedgeree that was as good to eat as it was easy to prepare. It is also a fantastic way to make not very much salmon go a long way....

Kedgeree was created by the English in India during the Raj. It is a mildly spiced mixture of rice, eggs & poached smoked fish, usually smoked haddock. Generally served as a breakfast dish, it would have been prepared & served by servants into a lovely silver chafing dish, sitting on a Victorian sideboard already groaning with food, just the ticket to sustain a thrusting young East India Company man before he trekked off to an exhausting couple of hours at the office.
I have a distinct lack of servants, sideboards or chafing dishes, so my not terribly authentic recipe ( I was making it up as I went along, never having actually eaten Kedgeree before!) was instead served up to my husband & sister for supper. Hot smoked salmon is my favourite smoked fish, and eliminates the poaching, making this a very quick supper, even if your kitchen staff are on their hols & you have to cook yourself.....

Kedgeree              Serves 3-4

1 onion
Splash oil
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
Pinch cayenne pepper or chilli powder
Good grind of black pepper
200 grams basmati rice
500 ml chicken or vegetable stock, heated ( I just bung a jug in the microwave)
3 eggs
4 chopped spring onions
1 cup frozen peas
250 gram hot smoked salmon (or used any smoked fish you like
Handful chopped coriander or parsley

In a large frying pan melt the butter and oil together over a medium-low heat. Peel & finely chop the onion, and add to the pan with the salt. Stir and cook for 5 minutes until the onion is soft. Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli, stir and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the rice, stirring to coat with the onion oil spice mixture, then pour in your stock, stirring to combine. Cover with a lid (or foil if your frying pan has no lid) and leave to cook on low for 10 minutes

Meanwhile put your eggs into a saucepan of water & bring to the boil. Boil for 7 minutes then drain & pour over cold water. Peel the eggs and slice into quarters.

After your rice has been cooking for 10 minutes, add the chopped spring onions, peas and half the coriander, stir through the rice, which will still be quite wet, cover again & cook another 10-15 minutes. When the rice is tender but not mushy, add the eggs & smoked salmon, gently folding through the rice mixture with two forks. Cover with a teatowel, then a lid (or foil) & leave to sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining coriander and serve

It is actually quite a light meal, but sustaining at the same time, with a lovely smoky gentle spice. Very elegant with a glass of bubbly for brunch, and a whole lot easier to prepare then eggs Benedict!

I am writing this from our hotel in Fiji. We arrived to gray skies and pouring rain, which thankfully have stopped, I have already finished one book, and am about to start number two. This is the view from the patio, I can hear palm trees swaying in the breeze and behind me, the insistant,  profoundly irritaing twang of a games machine .......



But the best bit of the trip so far? Besides the in room Playstation? Mr PK just discovered the Sky channel in our room is playing Chelsea v Liverpool at 5am tomorrow morning. We can watch football on holiday without even getting out of bed. Wish you were here??

Mock Paella.....

Please excuse the terrible title, but it made me laugh so I went with it. I wanted a new way to use my Cheats Chorizo, and had an idea of a quick easy "paella" type dish that could be whipped up after work and would appeal to both kids and adults alike.
I was explaining all this to Mr PK and he commented it sounded like Mock Paella. A few years back, after reading Julie & Julia I decided I too needed a project (this!) and for a brief ill advised nano-second considered cooking my way through the Edmond's Cookbook . I know, terrible idea. For overseas readers, editions of this cookbook have been around in NZ since 1908, and many households would have a version, Mum had a fab 70's edition, everything was garnished with orange slices! Mine hails from the mid 90's, and was sent specially from NZ to London so I could make pavlova and pikelets even in foreign climes.......

One look at the fish and offal sections convinced me I could never cook (or indeed eat) Luncheon Salmon Mould or Tongue Mould, but the recipes that really caught my eye were the "mock" items. Mock whitebait I can almost get, whitebait is seasonal, and expensive even then, mock hollandaise, I guess it can be a tricky sauce, but mock chicken? When is chicken ever so difficult to get nowadays? And how onion and tomato mixed with herbs and plonked on a cracker is supposed to taste like chicken anyway is a mystery known only to that particular recipe writer ....I wont even mention mock pizza.....
Anyway, this is great, tasty little chorizo meatballs, peppers, smoky paprika and rice all bound in a chilli saffron tomato sauce. Takes about 20 mins and tastes fabulous. I mock you not.

Mock Paella

Makes 2 generous servings

200 gr cheats chorizo (or use ordinary chorizo)
Splash olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 red pepper chopped into small chunks
1/2 green pepper chopped into small chunks
3/4 cup of rice (I use Jasmine rice)
1 1/2 cups chicken or vege stock
Small tin of crushed tomatoes
1/4 tsp each of sweet & hot smoked paprika
Pinch of saffron (optional)
Chopped red chilli to taste
Salt & pepper
Parsley and lemon to garnish

If you are using cheats chorizo take small amounts of your mince and make into little meatballs, about the size of a walnut. If using chorizo, chop into chunks about 1cm thick. Heat a splash of oil in a med frying pan over medium heat and add your meat. Cook until browned, about 4-5 minutes. The meat will release a small amount of oil, which is wonderful to then fry your onions in.

Take the meat out of the pan onto a plate, leaving the oil in the pan, and add the onion and garlic, Fry for 5 mins until soft, then add your peppers and stir in. Cook for another 5 mins or so until softened , then add the rice. Stir to coat in the veges and oil, and pour over your stock and tomatoes. Next add your paprika, and saffron & chilli if using.

Stir everything together and let it cook for at a gentle simmer for 12-15 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender but not mushy. Check the seasoning and add salt & pepper as nessesary. You will think there is too much liquid but don't stress, it will all get soaked up. If all the liquid is soaked in and the rice still has to much bite for you just add a tiny bit more stock or water.

Spoon into pretty bowls and top with parsley and a squeeze of lemon.

If you happen to have saffron in the pantry, a pinch crumbled into the pan when you add the stock and tomatoes is lovely, but the dish is great without it. I use plain old jasmine rice, if you happen to have Calasparra paella rice by all means use it, but any long grain rice will be fine.

Since the first time I made this I have come across a wonderful New Zealand smoked paprika, from Orcona, based in Napier. I was lucky enough to attend the Monteiths Cheesefest last week, showcasing all the delicious cheeses we are lucky enough to enjoy in this country. More on that in my next posts. Also at the event were all the winners of the Cuisine Artisan Awards for 2011. Among some really fantastic products I tasted was the Orcona Harissa Paste, stirred through yogurt as a dip. Completely delsih, with a wonderful kick, I was pleased to find their smoked paprika also. It is perfect in your paella, so if you see some buy it!

Supperclubs, suppers and slightly grubby rice

Busy week! I had meant to post this the other day, then the weekend, and another supperclub caught up with me. It went very well, each one gets a bit smoother and easier, or maybe I get a bit more confident and worry slightly less, who knows. Still knackered on Sunday mind you! The menu, a celebration of all things Spanish, consisted of:

Cava Cocktail

Garlic chili prawns with homemade saffron bread

Tortilla, smoky tomato sauce and sizzling chorizo

Pork & Lima Bean hotpot with green picada, salad and bread

Almond Citrus cake with caramel oranges and Pedro Ximenez sherry

Coffee and turron

I love Spain, and Spanish food, so I really enjoyed putting this menu together. of course I didn't quite think through the fact that of course my visits to fiesta in Sedella, a wee village about an hour into the mountains outside Malaga, occurred in the height of summer. Sangria and Gazpacho are a little incongruous in Auckland on a damp August evening. But it seemed to go down very well anyway, with every single plate bar one coming back wiped clean. I would love to show you lots of lovely pics of the delicious meal, but after taking the shots above before everyone arrived, the battery went flat. I popped it aside to charge.........and promptly forgot about it. I know, I am so not the person you want around to capture life's little moments. Or any moments in fact. I could kick myself, the dessert especially looked beautiful, a damp golden cake, with brilliant oranges, and a wee shot glass of the most delish Spanish sherry, tasting of musky raisin..........it just not the same in the telling is it?

So I'm afraid you will have to make do with pics of last weeks dinners instead. I am doing quite well on my challenge, another 800 grams lost this week (I know, sounds pathetic, but I keep looking at a block of butter and reminding myself how that isn't sitting on my backside anymore.....) and we did eat some pretty yummy suppers

First up was dainty Lamb Cutlets with Couscous. The cutlets were left in a marinade of lemon thyme, lemon juice, olive oil and pepper for about 20 minutes while I made the couscous. If you have no other herb in your garden, at least have lemon thyme, it is amazing how often you will use it. It is a Mediterranean herb, and is used to growing in a hot climate, with limited moisture, and poor soil. Perfect for the beginner/negligent gardener. You can grow this, trust me. Chicken, lamb, fish all benefit from this herb, and most garden centres have it in stock.

The couscous (a cup was loads for two of us) was mixed in a bowl with seasoning, a couple of chopped spring onions, a handful of pistachios, a handful of sultanas and a small knob of butter. I then covered the whole lot with about 1 1/2 cups hot chicken stock , and left to sit for 10 mins or so covered in a warmed oven. The lamb cutlets were griddled until pink and juicy (Mr PK likes his incinerated, but I wont let those little lambs die in vain.......) with a few mushrooms I found lurking in the crisper, then plonked on a plate with the couscous, more spring onions, chopped cherry tomato, fresh mint and coriander, and some natural yogurt mixed with a dollop of tahini. It has almost taken me longer to type than to prepare, and it was really tasty.

 Next up on the Plum Kitchen "dinners that don't make you feel depressed parade of champions" is a new creation I had to call Slightly Grubby Rice. Tempting no? I was sitting at work, doing something tedious like PAYE, and trying to decide what to have for dinner. Sadly this was probably 10.30 in the morning, but anyway..........I wanted  to use the prawns I had in the freezer, part of my eat more seafood campaign. I know prawns are not exactly pushing the boat out, but this also dovetailed nicely (actually I could use the word synergy here, but I don't want to sound like a tosser, so I wont......) with my sister Liz's suggestion I try using all the meat I have in my freezer before I purchase anymore. I think she was trying to ram a glass in to chill and having some difficultly. Quite frankly I'm not sure how many more challenges I can take on board right now, but this did seem entirely sensible, given I live five minutes walk from an awesome butcher. I have no need to stock up, and am rubbish at labelling my hoard, so a clean out is in order.

 I fancied Mexican, but didn't want to eat corn chips, or fatty nachos or such like. Then I remembered an amazing rice dish I had in London, Jerk Chicken with Rice and Peas. I know, Mexico by way of Jamaica.......stick with me. I lived in London for seven years, and for the majority of that worked for a fantastic law firm in Docklands, in the east of the city. My boss Osa was originally from Nigeria, and occasionally him and his friend Tony from IT would head into the east end and get Jerk Chicken or Pork, with Rice & Peas. Osa made the mistake one day of offering me some to try, and I think I had hoovered up half his lunch before I even knew what I was doing. Temporary insanity by way of mind blowing food, it would stand up in any court I can think of. The peas referred to are actually black eyed beans, and even for a non rice aficionado like me, it is a top meal. Another classic rice dish is the Cajun Dirty Rice, which contains chicken livers or giblets, and turns the rice a brown colour. I didn't fancy chicken livers, but the spices I used did turn my rice a slightly murky colour..hence the catchy name.

This recipe was made up with what I had to hand, it is neither Mexican, Jamaican or Cajun.....but it is good.

Slightly Grubby Rice with prawns

Sprinkle your fresh or defrosted prawns with either a couple of teaspoons of  this Tio Pablo Mayan Gold Mexican seasoning mix, (no weird additives, tastes yummy) or a good pinch each of paprika, dried thyme, chili, ground cumin and ground coriander. You could also use chicken, pork, or even firm fish.

Chuck your rice (I used a cup, which made enough for four) in your rice cooker or pan with a tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 2 bay leaves and a few coriander pods. Cook until slightly underdone. I used a bit less water than normal in the rice cooker which left the rice slightly hard. Take out & leave to cool a little while you prepare your pan mix

Fry a diced onion in oil until soft, then add three chopped garlic cloves, and a tsp each of chili power and Tio Pablo mix OR the following

1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground coriander

Don't stress if you don't have every spice, what I was going for was a mixture of hot but sweet spicy, hence the inclusion of cinnamon, and you can adjust the amount of chili to suit, if you are cooking for kids or the heat intolerant.

After about a minute or so add half a chopped red pepper, and a drained tin of black eye peas, and 3/4 cup of canned or frozen sweetcorn kernels.Stir in a cup of water (or use stock if you have it). Add your rice, cover and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes or so till all the liquid is absorbed. Your rice will finish cooking and become fluffy, and imbued with the flavor of the spicy seasoning.
Fry the prawns on a griddle or in a pan until sizzling and cooked through

Put the rice in a bowl and top with the prawns, some fresh tomato, chopped avocado, coriander and a big squeeze of lime. Sour cream is lovely on top, or some yogurt, especially if you have need generous with the chili. To be honest the prawns were not really necessary, the rice was really satisfying on it's own. I believe when you combine carbs like rice, with a legume, you get a much better quality of protein (like having wholemeal toast with baked beans), which is handy for vegetarians. All I know is this was a really tasty dinner, and I will be making again.....

Last up is the one pasta meal I am allowing myself a week. Fresh gnocchi which cooked in all of a minute, cover in a simple tomato sauce and baked with a breadcrumb topping. Yum

Tomato Sauce

Fry a couple of chopped rashers of streaky bacon (the Freedom Farms one is good) until crispy and put on a papertowel to drain. Wipe out most of the fat, and fry a diced onion until soft. Add a crushed garlic clove, and fry for another minute. Add a splash of white wine to the pan, then tip in a tin of crushed tomatoes (Farro Fresh do tins of Italian tomatoes, 3 for $5 it is worth stocking up. They also do a similar deal on tinned legumes) Add a pinch of sugar, which I always add when cooking with tomatoes, seasoning, a pinch of chili flakes and about 1/2 tomato tin of water. Add the bacon back to the pan, stir and let bubble way on medium for about 10 mins until thickened . Stir through a couple of handfuls of baby spinach until wilted, then add a splash of cream. I know,, what is a diet diva doing adding cream? It really gives richness, disproportionate to the amount added, and cuts the acidity of the tomatoes. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Tip the sauce over your boiled gnocchi, which you have drained and placed in a baking dish. Top with fresh breadcrumbs and a wee bit of Parmesan (for flavour!) and grill for a minute or two until crispy on top. Super yummy and satisfying.

Changing tack entirely I went to the cinema recently and saw a lovely film Cairo Time, if you have every been to Cairo, or wanted to, see this film. It is a lovely bittersweet romance, and an ode to the city, I loved it. Be warned , it is a chick flick...........Mr PK was slightly less than effusive, but that may have been the lack of guns.......

If you are reading this I applaud your tenacity! I suspect I do this the wrong way around, many of the blogs I enjoy have plenty of beautiful pictures and short snappy prose..........I am entirely the other way around, a few pictures, and A LOT of words. I like words, always have. But I promise to make a better effort with the pics, so please hang in there.......